Written By | Agencies
In Iran, joint US-Israeli strikes have killed at least 555 people, while security chief Ali Larijani has refuted US media claims that he made a fresh push to resume nuclear talks with Washington
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Iran continues to strike Israel and US assets in the Gulf as casualties rise across the region amid intensifying Israeli and US attacks on Iran.
In Iran, joint US-Israeli strikes have killed at least 555 people, while security chief Ali Larijani has refuted US media claims that he made a fresh push to resume nuclear talks with Washington. In Kuwait, the Defence Ministry said “several” US warplanes crashed in the country, with all crew members surviving. The US military said the jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences.
In Lebanon, at least 31 people have been killed in Israeli attacks launched after Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at northern Israel. Lebanon’s prime minister has announced a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities.
Elsewhere, an oil tanker was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, killing one person, while drone strikes have been reported at energy sites in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
US President Donald Trump has warned that attacks on Iran will continue until all objectives are achieved and has promised to avenge the deaths of three US soldiers.
Italy has received requests for logistics aid and supplies from Gulf countries affected by the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States, according to Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Addressing a parliamentary committee in Rome, Tajani said Italian troops deployed in Lebanon, Jordan and other parts of the region were safe.
Reporting from Beirut, journalists say the Israeli army has threatened to carry out air strikes across numerous areas in Lebanon, singling out branches of al-Qard al-Hasan, a financial institution affiliated with Hezbollah, and warning it would target all its branches nationwide. Widespread fear has gripped Lebanon amid concerns that the violence could escalate into days of sustained fighting.
Smoke was seen rising from Beirut’s southern suburbs, where hundreds of thousands of residents have fled since the early hours of the morning. Israel said it had launched an offensive against Hezbollah and expects several days of fighting, warning that Hezbollah would “pay the price” for firing rockets across the border.
In southern Lebanon, the Israeli army has ordered evacuations in dozens of towns and villages near the border, leaving many communities largely deserted.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said President Vladimir Putin and United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire between Iran, the US and Israel during a phone call. According to Moscow, the two leaders discussed what it described as “tragic developments” in the Middle East and emphasised the importance of returning to political and diplomatic efforts.
The Russian statement described recent military action against Iran as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign UN member state”.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington “didn’t start the war”, framing the operation as retaliation for actions attributed to Iran since the 1979 revolution.
US officials said the objectives are to degrade Iran’s naval forces, ballistic missile capabilities and nuclear infrastructure. While President Trump suggested operations could last up to four weeks, Hegseth declined to provide a timeline, saying it would not be an “endless war”.
There are suggestions that sustained pressure could encourage internal unrest in Iran, though analysts caution that regime change would likely require a significant ground presence rather than air strikes alone.
Five civilians, including a child, were killed in an Israeli strike on the village of Sarabeleh in Kermanshah province, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The US Embassy in Beirut has urged American citizens not to travel to Lebanon and called on those already in the country to depart immediately while commercial flight options remain available.
“The security situation in Lebanon is volatile and unpredictable,” the embassy said, noting that air strikes have occurred throughout the country, especially in the south, the Beqaa Valley and parts of Beirut.
Agencies
